After the RCMP’s damning report alleging agents of the Government of India of conducting “serious criminal activity” in Canada, Indian travellers are concerned about how this might affect their visa statuses.
These worries have been raised on study abroad Facebook groups as travel sites speculate that visa applicants, specifically those seeking Canadian study or work permits, may face delays or increased scrutiny amid the rift.
Both India and Canada expelled six diplomats in light of the accusations, which were released in a statement by law enforcement on Monday.
In response to the allegations, the Indian government withdrew key diplomats from Canada, including High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma, “to ensure their security.”
“We have received a diplomatic communication from Canada yesterday suggesting that the Indian High Commissioner and other diplomats are ‘persons of interest’ in a matter related to an investigation in that country,” reads a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
“The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centred around vote bank politics.”
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has responded to travellers’ concerns following the escalation in tensions.
It told Daily Hive over email that first and foremost, the Canadian government prioritizes the health, safety and security of Canadians. So, foreign nationals hoping to come to Canada must meet the requirements set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
The agency says all applications from around the world are assessed on a case-by-case basis by highly trained immigration officers, equally against the same criteria.
The agency also addressed worries surrounding delays.
“IRCC is working hard to mitigate any impact on applicants from or in India by continuing to share the workload across our global processing network,” explained a spokesperson.
“The large majority of applications from India are already processed outside of India, with well over 90% of India’s applications processed in Canada.”
According to the IRCC, staff who remain in India will focus on work that requires an in-country presence such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment and overseeing key partners, including visa application centres, panel physicians and clinics that perform immigration medical exams.
As for Indians hoping to go to school in Canada, the IRCC says that pathway is still open.
“Indian nationals and residents can continue to apply to study in Canada, and Canadian designated learning institutions continue to welcome students from India,” said the spokesperson.
The agency says it continues to work with the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to implement security screenings to prevent potential criminal activity.
Hours after the RCMP report was released, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau doubled down on the allegations, saying the Government of India made a “fundamental error in thinking they could engage in supporting criminal activity” on Canadian soil.
”I think it is obvious that the government of India made a fundamental error in thinking that they could engage in supporting criminal activity against Canadians here on Canadian soil,” PM Trudeau says of India’s alleged ties to criminal activity in Canada.
#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/FXYGEUdB40— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) October 14, 2024
Reactions from Canadians online have been divisive, with many spouting anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric, as seen in the comments of the CPAC post above.
One member of parliament is reminding people that criticism of India “does not justify any form of hatred or suspicion towards Canadians of Indian descent.”
This comes over a year after Trudeau revealed that “agents of the Government of India” were linked to the shooting death of Sikh Canadian leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in June 2023.